Will they ask for receipts and bills

[gak555]

I understand that when doing the means test the expenses that you claim are already calculated and that you just use those figures depending on which state you live in, etc.

On the schedules I and J are you using actual expense figures and do you have to show them utility bills, etc. to validate ?

[SinkingFast]

When we met with our attny and turned in our docs for filing, we had to give them 2 months worth of bills. Phone, cell phone, propane, electric, basically the routine utilities type stuff. Plus, they had to have copies of our auto insurance policies, our renter's insurance, our life insurance, our mortgage, our lease on the house we rented, a copy of our security deposit, etc. Some things are required to be on file in case the attny gets audited for your BK filing.

For food and clothes and such, we didn't have to show receipts. But I had saved EVERY receipt from January so I'd know how much we were spending and what we spent it on. I'm still keeping receipts, but that's mainly just for us.

I went thru the receipts for the one month and broke out groceries, cleaning supplies, etc. to categorize for the attny's packets we were filling out. Other expenses, like auto repairs and such, I just ran back over the last year of repair receipts, added that up, and divided by 12. We ran thru those with the paralegal when we were filling out the expense sheet but she never asked for us to show her actual receipts.

Some of the expenses on J will be based on what you actually spend. Other areas, the attny will fill in what the Court is used to seeing. Also, there were some areas where we told the paralegal a dollar amount and she wrote a + sign beside the amount. She said she knew the schedules allowed for more money in those areas so if they needed a little pad to get where the attny needed to be, those were areas they could go to.

That was our experience. Other people's may vary. Hope that helps!

[gak555]

Very helpful. thanks.

[djk]

I used actual expenses at the time of filing but also stated that expenses would increase. I included no copies of bills with my petition. My trustee did not ask for any further documentation. I filed Pro Se.

[FoolAndHisMoney]

They probably only ask for more paperwork if the expenses are a little high or unreasonable for your area. Someone posted here a while back that they were tithing and the trustee wanted to see proof that he has a reasonable history of doing this and he didn't. I pay my rent and utility bills cash to my landlord every month and have receipts to prove it. Paying cash to private landlords is common practice in my neck of the woods so I'm not too worried and the amount I pay is in line with the means test.